Modules 13 - 15

A human sperm cell contains

23 chromosomes.

Two plants are grown under the same environmental conditions, including the same soil conditions and the same amount of light and water, but one grows to 2 feet tall and the other is 1 foot tall. In this case, the heritability would be closest to

95 percent.

Psychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE·ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, ART in the right. When asked, patients said they saw _____

ART

What is the brief electrical charge that travels down an axon called?

Action potential

Which of the following fictional research findings is the best evidence against the idea that "our lives are determined by our experiences"?

Babies are born with personalities that are relatively stable throughout their lives.

How do evolutionary psychologists explain why pregnant women from cultures across the world tend to avoid bitter, strongly flavored foods?

Bitter tastes can be an indication of foods toxic toward a developing baby, so this preference developed through natural selection.

Which part of the nervous system begins the process for moving the muscles required to walk across the street?

Central nervous system

Which of the following fictional research findings is the best evidence against the idea that "biology is destiny"?

Cognitive therapy can help people change unwanted personality traits.

Patients with a split brain have had which structure in their brain severed?

Corpus callosum

Damage to the hippocampus would result in what?

Difficulty in creating new memories

An individual has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely to be at fault?

Dopamine

You are aware that a dog is viciously barking at you, but you are not aware of the type of dog. Later, you are able to describe the type and color of the dog. This ability to process information without conscious awareness best exemplifies which of the following?

Dual processing

Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that women prefer monogamy and men promiscuity in ensuring the survival of their genetic material. However, monogamous relationships can also be explained using an evolutionary perspective. This best illustrates which of the following criticisms of evolutionary psychology?

Evolutionary psychology works backward to propose an explanation; thus, any behavior can be explained.

An individual experiences brain damage that results in an inability to make plans about the future. Which part of the brain was probably damaged?

Frontal lobe

Psychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE·ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, ART in the right. When asked to point to the word with their left hand, patients pointed to _____

HE

What was one of the major findings of Thomas Bouchard's study of twins?

He discovered striking similarities between adult identical twins who had been separated near birth.

Which of the following will be the most alike?

Identical twins raised in the same environment.

During which task might the right hemisphere of the brain be most active?

Imagining what a dress would look like on a friend

The dual-processing model refers to which of the following ideas?

Incoming information is processed by both conscious and unconscious tracks.

Epigenetics might best explain which of the following?

Lisa and Eloisa are identical twins; only one develops schizophrenia.

A researcher interested in determining the size of a particular area of the brain would be most likely to use which of the following techniques?

MRI

Which of the following statements has been supported by the research of evolutionary psychologists?

Men are attracted to women who appear fertile and capable of bearing children.

Which of the following is true regarding the initiation of sexual activity?

Men are more likely to initiate sexual activity than women.

Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand how traits and behavioral tendencies have been shaped by what?

Natural selection

Which is the most influential of the endocrine glands?

Pituitary gland

Which of the following best describes genetic mutation?

Random errors in gene replication

Which region of the brain plays a significant role in our sense of alertness and arousal?

Reticular formation

Who are likely to show the greatest similarity in personality?

Ruth and Ramona, identical twins

Research into dual processing provides partial evidence for levels of consciousness similar to the levels first described by which psychologist?

Sigmund Freud

Which of the following is most likely to be a function of the left hemisphere?

Speech

Which of the following is an example of gene-environment interaction?

Ted gets diabetes, which runs in his family, because he eats too much sugary food.

A split-brain patient has a picture of a dog flashed to his right hemisphere and a cat to his left hemisphere. Which of the following will he be able to verbalize?

That he saw a cat

Brain plasticity refers to which of the following?

The ability of brain tissue to take on new functions

Which of the following describes evidence for the brain's dual-processing ability?

The brainstem keeps our heart beating while the cerebral cortex maintains awareness of the outside world.

According to opinion polls, how do scientists and nonscientists react differently to the idea of evolution?

There is widespread consensus among scientists that evolution is scientific fact, but nearly half of U.S. adults do not believe in evolution.

Why do researchers use adoption studies in an effort to reveal genetic influences on personality?

To evaluate whether adopted children more closely resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents

How have gender roles in the United States changed over time?

Traditional masculine or feminine traits are not as significant in mate selection as they were in the past.

Heritability refers to the percentage of what?

Variation in a trait across individuals that can be explained by genetics

The information carried in a gene is expressed as

a protein.

Identical twins originate from the fertilization of

a single egg cell by a single sperm cell.

Depending on environmental conditions, specific genes can be either

active or inactive.

The diversity of human traits is enabled by our shared

adaptive capacity.

Although identical twins have been shown to have some amazing psychological similarities, one should be cautious about attributing these similarities to genetic factors because

any two strangers are likely to share a string of coincidental similarities.

When the "Jim twins," identical twins separated at birth, were reunited 38 years later, surprising similarities were discovered. Although they had married women of the same name, named their sons and dogs the same names, one should be cautious before attributing these similarities to genetic factors because

any two strangers are likely to share coincidental similarities.

Research suggests that young men prefer older women, mid-twenties men prefer women their own age, and older men prefer younger women. Based on this finding, evolutionary psychologists suggest that men

are attracted to women with peak fertility.

An evolutionary psychologist would be likely to suggest that human preferences for sweet-tasting foods

are genetically predisposed.

The personalities of adopted children

are not very similar to the personalities of their adoptive parents.

Why is it incorrect to say that 50 percent heritability of intelligence means that the cause of your intelligence is 50 percent genetic and 50 percent environmental?

because heritability accounts for variations among people, not in specific individuals

A researcher who assesses the heritability of intelligence is most likely a(n)

behavior geneticist.

Assessing the relative effects of nature and nurture on individual differences in personality would be of most direct interest to

behavior geneticists.

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior and personality traits is known as

behavior genetics.

When people discuss the "nature vs. nurture" controversy, Nature refers to ________ and Nurture refers to ________.

biology; environment

Which psychological perspective most directly addresses questions about the relative influences of nature and nurture?

biopsychosocial perspective

A split-brain patient has a picture of a dog flashed to his right hemisphere and a cat to his left hemisphere. He will be able to identify the _____

cat using his right hand

Chromosomes are located within human

cells.

Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that

children are more likely to be valued by their biological fathers than by their stepfathers.

The threadlike structures that contain genes are called

chromosomes.

What is the interdisciplinary study of how brain activity is linked with our mental processes called?

cognitive neuroscience

Which kind of psychological researcher would be most interested in the research question, "Do people who lose most of their cerebral cortex in an accident still exhibit signs of consciousness?"

cognitive neuroscientist

Someone skilled at word processing thinks several letters ahead while typing, whereas a beginner must focus on one letter at a time. A novice is most likely using _________ to complete the task.

conscious serial processing

Information is most quickly transmitted from one cerebral hemisphere to the other by the _____

corpus callosum

Split-brain patients have had their ________ surgically cut.

corpus callosum

The ability to simultaneously copy different figures with the right and left hand is most characteristic of those whose ________ has been cut.

corpus callosum

Chromosomes are composed of

deoxyribonucleic acid.

Generally speaking, heritability is the extent to which _____

differences among people are accounted for by genes.

When looking at a flying bird, we are consciously aware of our cognitive processing ("It's a bird!") but not of our subconscious processing of the bird's form, color, distance, and movement. This illustrates what psychologists call _____

dual processing

Which cognitive neuroscience term reflects the idea that "much of our everyday thinking, feeling, and acting operates outside our conscious awareness"?

dual processing

Neurosurgeons have severed the corpus callosum in human patients in order to reduce _____

epileptic seizures

Professor Archibald suggests that men are more likely than women to initiate recreational sex because this has historically served to be a more successful reproductive strategy for men than for women. The professor's suggestion best illustrates a(n) ________ theory.

evolutionary

Professor Assad suggested that a cautious attitude toward sexual encounters has proven to be more reproductively advantageous to women than to men because the birth process is time-consuming. This suggestion best illustrates the logic of a(n) ________ theory of sexual behavior.

evolutionary

Mamie is terrified of spiders. She tells her best friend, "Everybody in my family is afraid of spiders, so it must be genetic." Using the biopsychosocial approach to understanding her behavior, Mamie should

examine additional psychological and social-cultural influences on fear.

A segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a specific protein is called a

gene.

Research most clearly suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by

genes than by home environment.

Adopted children are more likely to demonstrate levels of agreeableness and extraversion, more similar to that of their biological parents than their adoptive parents. This finding suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by

genes than by the home environment.

Put the following terms in order, from smallest to largest.

genes, DNA, chromosomes

The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes are called

genes.

Brittla frequents only the most expensive clubs in an effort to attract a desirable mate. According to evolutionary psychologists, Brittla's behavior is a product of

genetic predispositions

Studies of identical twins who had been reared apart most clearly highlight the importance of ________ in personality development.

genetic predispositions

Twin studies suggest that a strong influence on emotional instability comes from

genetic predispositions.

According to evolutionary psychologists, behaviors that promote reproductive success are likely to be

genetically predisposed.

Because Marla is the first girl in her fourth-grade class to sexually mature, she is sometimes teased and rejected by her classmates. Marla's sense of social isolation and embarrassment result from the interaction of

genetics and environmental factors.

The complete set of genetic instructions in an organism's chromosomes is called the

genome.

Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to attribute gender differences in attitudes toward sex to the fact that men have ________ than do women.

greater reproductive potential

Twin studies suggest that Alzheimer's disease is influenced by

heredity.

Gender differences in heritable personality traits cannot necessarily be attributed to male-female genetic differences because

heritable traits can be influenced by social environments.

Human genome (DNA) researchers have discovered that

human genes are mostly the same, regardless of race.

Human genome (DNA) researchers have discovered that _____

human genes are mostly the same, regardless of race.

Critics of evolutionary psychology are most likely to suggest that it underestimates the

impact of cultural expectations on human sexual behavior.

An adaptation is an inherited physical or behavioral characteristic that

increases an organism's chance for survival.

The unique personalities of children evoke predictable responses from their caregivers. This best illustrates the ________ of nature and nurture.

interaction

The ability to recognize faces with the right hemisphere but not with the left hemisphere best illustrates _____

lateralization

The localization of a function such as speech production to the right or left side of the brain is called _____

lateralization

Someone trying to add a long series of three digit numbers is probably experiencing increased brain waves and blood flow to which brain structure?

left hemisphere

If primed with the flashed word foot, the ________ will be especially quick to recognize the word heel. If primed with foot, cry, and glass, the ________ will be especially quick to recognize the word cut.

left hemisphere; right hemisphere

Compared with identical twins, fraternal twins are

less likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.

Women are most likely to be sexually attracted to men who seem

mature and affluent.

DNA is a complex

molecule.

Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that men are ________ likely than women to prefer mates with a fertile-looking appearance and ________ likely than women to prefer mates with wealth and social status.

more; less

Compared with women, men are ________ likely to sacrifice to gain sex and ________ likely to perceive warm responses as a sexual come-on.

more; more

A random error in gene replication is known as a

mutation.

Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of

natural selection.

If a genetic predisposition to fear darkness contributes to reproductive success, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates

natural selection.

The prevalence of genetically predisposed traits that have a reproductive advantage is best explained in terms of

natural selection.

The reproductive advantage enjoyed by organisms best suited to a particular environment is known as

natural selection.

The reproductive advantage enjoyed by organisms best suited to a specific environment is known as

natural selection.

Which statement best reflects current psychology's understanding of the relationship between nature and nurture?

nature via nurture

Our adaptive flexibility in responding to different environments contributes to our fitness, which refers to

our ability to survive and reproduce.

Consciousness is _____

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

A behavior geneticist would be most interested in studying hereditary influences on

personality traits.

Identical twins separated at birth would be most likely to have similar

personality.

Adoptive parents are most likely to influence the ________ of their adopted children.

political attitudes

Natural selection acts on

populations.

Deaf people who use sign language typically _____

process language in their left cerebral hemisphere.

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to be criticized for

providing hindsight explanations for human behaviors.

The home environment most clearly has a greater influence on children's ________ than on their ________.

religious beliefs; personality traits

According to evolutionary psychologists, our predisposition to overconsume fatty junk foods illustrates that we are biologically prepared to behave in ways that promoted the ________ of our ancestors.

reproductive success

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to emphasize that human adaptiveness to a variety of different environments has contributed to human

reproductive success.

Evolutionary psychologists emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted

reproductive success.

A picture of a cat is briefly flashed in the left visual field and a picture of a mouse is briefly flashed in the right visual field of a split-brain patient. The individual will be able to use her _____

right hand to indicate she saw a mouse.

A failure to recognize that one's arm or leg is part of one's self is most likely to be associated with damage to the _____

right hemisphere

Someone trying to figure out an optical illusion is probably experiencing increased brain waves and blood flow to which brain structure?

right hemisphere

Which brain structure might be most active when answering the question "What do the following words have in common: plane, butter, insect?"

right hemisphere

Dmitry Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut successfully domesticated wild foxes by means of

selective mating.

An African butterfly that is green in the summer turns brown in the fall thanks to a temperature-controlled genetic switch. This best illustrates that genes are

self-regulating.

Many genes respond to environmental conditions, reacting to different environmental contexts in different ways. This characteristic of genes is called what?

self-regulation

The genome is the complete

set of genetic material in an organism's chromosomes.

Damage to the left cerebral hemisphere is most likely to reduce people's ability to _____

speak fluently

Males in their ________ are most likely to be sexually attracted to women who are several years older rather than several years younger than themselves.

teens.

The interaction of biological influences, psychological influences, and social-cultural influences on our behavior is known as

the biopsychosocial approach.

People have always responded so positively to Alyssa's good looks that she has developed a socially confident and outgoing personality. This best illustrates

the interaction of nature and nurture.

Researchers use dichotic listening tasks to investigate right-left differences in an intact brain. In this task, a different verbal stimulus is presented simultaneously to each ear. Findings suggest that participants more quickly recall information heard by the right ear. This suggests that _____

the left hemisphere is dominant in language processing.

Epigenetics refers to the

the study of how the environment triggers genetic expression.

Heritability refers to the extent to which

trait differences among individuals are attributable to genetic variations.

To estimate trait heritability, researchers are most likely to make use of

twin studies.

Fraternal twins originate from the fertilization of

two egg cells by two sperm cells.

A picture of a dog is briefly flashed in the left visual field of a split-brain patient. At the same time a picture of a boy is flashed in the right visual field. In identifying what she saw, the patient would be most likely to _____

verbally report that she saw a boy.

Researchers found that women rated men higher as potential long-term mates when they spent more time looking at baby pictures. This finding suggests that

women prefer men who express interest in caring for joint offspring.

Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that men will marry women who are ________ than they are.

younger